God’s Great Covenant Bible Curriculum

Posted by Cindy on April 30, 2010

Classical Academic Press was so kind to offer me their God’s Great Covenant: Old Testament 2 Bible curriculum for review.  I could’ve chosen the first in the series, Old Testament 1, but decided on the second book because it covers the Bible from Samuel to Malachi.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t find too many Bible curricula covering that period of the Bible from start to finish.

We’re already several lessons in and I just couldn’t wait to give this product the thumbs up!

Anyone who knows my teaching style knows that I appreciate historical sequence.  It makes sense to me that Bible history and world history are taught in chronological order so that connections can be made and mental pictures drawn.  I’ve completed many varied Bible curricula and historical fiction books that teach Genesis through Moses fairly well, but I have yet to find something really good for the times following Israel entering the Promised Land.

Up until now, the main product we used was The Child’s Story Bible by Catherine Vos along with The Victor Journey Through the Bible.  Both are awesome, by the way!  But, God’s Great Covenant: Old Testament 2 has given me the workbook study feel that I was looking for.

(Yes, I know, most of the time you hear me say I DON’T want a workbook!  Remember that I find value in all sorts of education – even workbooks within reason.  And we have never completed anything “workbook-like” with this section of the Bible, so it was time.  )

Student Key Facts Page

Here’s a quick overview of of God’s Great Covenant: Old Testament 2

• It’s written for children 3rd grade or older.
• It comes with a Student Notebook and a Teacher’s Guide.  The Teacher’s Guide includes everything just the same as the Student Notebook with additional teaching notes and answer keys.  The additional notes are very helpful and there are plenty of places for you to keep your own notes, too.
• Lessons move along chronologically.
• Each lesson includes a nice-sized synopsis of the Bible text (2-3 pages), or you can choose to read directly from the Bible – the references are included.
• Each lesson includes a key Bible verse, key facts & vocabulary that you will need to know about the lesson, and a key question to consider about the lesson.
• After reading through the lesson and the things mentioned in the bullet above, 2-4 worksheets follow that help your child review the material learned.  From the Bible reference and the key facts/vocabulary page, several small sections of questions and fun games are derived.  Your child will complete fill-in-the-blank activities, matching, multiple choice, mazes and word games.  The worksheets always end with a short activity for your child to look up additional verses in the Bible that relate somehow to the Bible lesson.

Student Workbook Page

The back of the book provides lots of wonderful helps and charts for you and your child.  You’ll find:

• A Memory Verse Summary for each of the five units, which you can choose to copy and post if you like.
• A Pictures of Jesus in the Old Testament guide that makes connections about how the Old Testament was continually pointing to the need for and the coming of Jesus as our Savior.
• Two charts that help you understand the Psalms and Proverbs.
• Charts showing the Kings and Prophets.
• A brief summary about the time period between the Old and New Testaments.
• A thorough glossary.
• Four very clear and helpful gray-scale maps.
• Two additional pages of review worksheets for each lesson should you choose to use them.

Teacher's Guide Page

Five units each have 6-7 lessons.  The lessons are meant to take one week each to complete, but we were able to complete most in 1-2 days.  If you take your time with the book, it can last an entire school year.  (I don’t meander around with much.  )  Lesson units include:

1. The Early Kingdom…The God Who Anoints
2. The Glorious Kingdom…The God Who Blesses
3. The Divided Kingdom…The God Who Reigns
4. The Remnant Kingdom…The God Who Judges
5. The Exiled Nation…The God Who Rescues

You will need one workbook per child since there are no rights given to copy the pages within your homeschool.  Oh, and I’m still using The Victor Journey Through the Bible alongside this study.  It goes along perfectly with the lessons and gives an extra visual understanding that I feel is important for cementing the information.  Quite simply, we read the God’s Great Covenant lesson then open The Victor Journey Through the Bible book to see if there is anything we might like to see or read.  It only adds a couple of extra minutes to the lessons.

My children have enjoyed our Bible time as they look forward to the “fun pages”.  See what can happen when you limit workbook time?  Your children start to call them fun pages!

World Geography Projects

Posted by Cindy on April 28, 2010

One of the end-of-the-year writing projects I gave the kids was to research any country of interest around the world and create a report and presentation.

Mahayla chose Uganda since her Sunday school class sponsors a child from Uganda through Holt International. The project became very personal and worthwhile for her as she learned more about the area where her little friend, Ruth, lives.

Caleb chose South Africa since we recently learned about Apartheid and Nelson Mandela during our 20th century history studies.  The project helped him distinguish between a current day country and how it is alike and different from the United States.

I only gave a few parameters for the reports/projects:

• The report needed to include nice-sized paragraphs, correct grammar/punctuation/spelling, and be more than simple facts.  In other words, I wanted them to infuse a little opinion into the information, too.
• They had to include at least the following topics, but could include others if desired: where in the world (maps), a brief history, current day culture such as food, clothing, homes, etc., things that are native to the country such as animals and crops, how Christianity is accepted and what other religions are popular, and if any famous missionaries ever worked there.
• The project board needed to be colorful and visually pleasing, as well as providing the audience something to look at as the presentation was made.

I continue to be amazed at how much ownership my children take in their learning when preparing for a project!

The Soup Kitchen

Posted by Cindy on April 26, 2010

This is Tony, my music minister from the church where I grew up.  Tony has always been very active in serving others in the name of Christ.  For the past 25 years, he’s worked monthly to organize food and helpers to serve the needy at the local soup kitchen.  We were blessed to help serve again this April.

The menu:

Day old pizza donated by Papa John’s

Salad

Corn

Fruit

Day old desserts donated by Kroger

After all the food has been served, we eat right alongside those we’ve just served.  It’s a humbling and honor-filled place to be.

A day of school spent serving ranks higher than any other.

Children’s Literature List

Posted by Cindy on April 21, 2010

Kristen from A Day in the Life had this meme from TeacherNinja on her blog.  How many top 100 children’s novels have you read?  I only highlighted the ones I’ve actually read with my children.  The list would be just a tad bigger if I included the additional titles I read when I was younger.  Looks like I have a great list to take with me to the library this summer!  (Although, there are a few stinkers in there that I would NEVER read with my children!)

100. The Egypt Game – Snyder (1967)

99. The Indian in the Cupboard – Banks (1980)

98. Children of Green Knowe – Boston (1954)

97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – DiCamillo (2006)

96. The Witches – Dahl (1983)

95. Pippi Longstocking – Lindgren (1950)

94. Swallows and Amazons – Ransome (1930)

93. Caddie Woodlawn – Brink (1935)

92. Ella Enchanted – Levine (1997)

91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School – Sachar (1978)

90. Sarah, Plain and Tall – MacLachlan (1985)

89. Ramona and Her Father – Cleary (1977)

88. The High King – Alexander (1968)

87. The View from Saturday – Konigsburg (1996)

86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Rowling (1999)

85. On the Banks of Plum Creek – Wilder (1937)

84. The Little White Horse – Goudge (1946)

83. The Thief – Turner (1997)

82. The Book of Three – Alexander (1964)

81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Lin (2009)

80. The Graveyard Book – Gaiman (2008)

79. All-of-a-Kind-Family – Taylor (1951)

78. Johnny Tremain – Forbes (1943)

77. The City of Ember – DuPrau (2003)

76. Out of the Dust – Hesse (1997)

75. Love That Dog – Creech (2001)

74. The Borrowers – Norton (1953)

73. My Side of the Mountain – George (1959)

72. My Father’s Dragon – Gannett (1948)

71. The Bad Beginning – Snicket (1999)

70. Betsy-Tacy – Lovelae (1940)

69. The Mysterious Benedict Society – Stewart ( 2007)

68. Walk Two Moons – Creech (1994)

67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher – Coville (1991)

66.  Henry Huggins – Cleary (1950)

65. Ballet Shoes – Stratfeild (1936)

64. A Long Way from Chicago – Peck (1998)

63. Gone-Away Lake – Enright (1957)

62. The Secret of the Old Clock – Keene (1959)

61. Stargirl – Spinelli (2000)

60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle – Avi (1990)

59. Inkheart – Funke (2003)

58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase – Aiken (1962)

57. Ramona Quimby Age Eight – Cleary (1981)

56. Number the Stars – Lowry (1989)

55. The Great Gilly Hopkins – Paterson (1978)

54. The BFG – Dahl (1982)

53. Wind in the Willows – Grahame (1908)

52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007)

51. The Saturdays – Enright (1941)

50. Island of the Blue Dolphins – O’Dell (1960)

49. Frindle – Clements (1996)

48. The Penderwicks – Birdsall (2005)

47. Bud, Not Buddy – Curtis (1999)

46. Where the Red Fern Grows – Rawls (1961)

45. The Golden Compass – Pullman (1995)

44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing – Blume (1972)

43. Ramona the Pest – Cleary (1968)

42. Little House on the Prairie – Wilder (1935)

41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond – Speare (1958)

40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Baum (1900)

39. When You Reach Me – Stead (2009)

38. HP and the Order of the Phoenix – Rowling (2003)

37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Taylor (1976)

36. Are you There, God? It’s Me, Margaret – Blume (1970)

35. HP and the Goblet of Fire – Rowling (2000)

34. The Watson’s Go to Birmingham – Curtis (1995)

33. James and the Giant Peach – Dahl (1961)

32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – O’Brian (1971)

31. Half Magic – Eager (1954)

30. Winnie-the-Pooh – Milne (1926)

29. The Dark Is Rising – Cooper (1973)

28. A Little Princess – Burnett (1905)

27. Alice I and II – Carroll (1865/72)

26. Hatchet – Paulsen (1989)

25. Little Women – Alcott (1868/9)

24. HP and the Deathly Hallows – Rowling (2007)

23. Little House in the Big Woods – Wilder (1932)

22. The Tale of Despereaux – DiCamillo (2003)

21. The Lightening Thief – Riordan (2005)

20. Tuck Everlasting – Babbitt (1975)

19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Dahl (1964)

18. Matilda – Dahl (1988)

17. Maniac Magee – Spinelli (1990)

16. Harriet the Spy – Fitzhugh (1964)

15. Because of Winn-Dixie – DiCamillo (2000)

14. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Rowling (1999)

13. Bridge to Terabithia – Paterson (1977)

12. The Hobbit  – Tolkein (1938)

11. The Westing Game – Raskin (1978)

10. The Phantom Tollbooth – Juster (1961)

9. Anne of Green Gables – Montgomery (1908)

8. The Secret Garden – Burnett (1911)

7. The Giver -Lowry (1993)

6. Holes – Sachar (1998)

5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – Koningsburg (1967)

4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Lewis (1950)

3. Harry Potter #1 – Rowling (1997)

2. A Wrinkle in Time – L’Engle (1962)

1. Charlotte’s Web – White (1952)

McConnell Springs

Posted by Cindy on April 19, 2010

Have you ever noticed how nature and history study often go hand in hand?  A recent trip to McConnell Springs in Lexington, KY was yet another nature/history trip that was full of great fun AND learning!

A nature trail leads you on a beautiful walk to find the springs, creeks and other historical markers that grace this wetland area where Lexington, KY got its name.

The educational center provides older and younger children with a scavenger hunt sheet. If they are able to complete most of the sheet, a small prize is awarded at the end of the hike. The scavenger hunt encourages the children to find nature related items and learn about the history of the springs from the signs located along the trail.

On many of our nature walks at home, the dogs tends to scare off all the critters. We were able to observe lots of wildlife here! This big guy was sunning on the edge of a pond while its friend was nearby poking its head out of the water.

This was one of the largest frogs I've seen in person - and one of the few that ever sat still for my camera. It was found near a small cave entrance. I think it's a green frog.

Itty-bitty tent caterpillars were crawling everwhere. They'll become moths later this summer.

Sorry the picture isn't better, but one of the neatest finds was this gall on a goldenrod stem from last year. The naturalist on site told us the Goldenrod Gall Fly lays eggs inside the stem making the gall. The larva actually live in the stem during the fall and winter then eat their way out in the spring.

I found a simple explanation of the process with photos here.

I took lots more pictures from the hike, but I'll spare you. Once returning to the educational center, there's a room where children (and adults) can go to learn all sorts about native KY wildlife and plant life. We spent almost an hour in the educational center alone!

This was a great trip!  If you live near Lexington, it’s a super spot to spend the afternoon.  Oh, and it’s free!!